WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES: The civil rights leader Martin Luther KIng (C) waves to supporters 28 August 1963 on the Mall in Washington DC (Washington Monument in background) during the "March on Washington". King said the march was "the greatest demonstration of freedom in the history of the United States." Martin Luther King was assassinated on 04 April 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee. James Earl Ray confessed to shooting King and was sentenced to 99 years in prison. King's killing sent shock waves through American society at the time, and is still regarded as a landmark event in recent US history. (Photo credit should read AFP/AFP/Getty Images)The civil rights leader Martin Luther KIng (C) waves to supporters on Aug. 28, 1963 on the Mall in Washington D.C. (credit: AFP/AFP/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON (CBS DC) – More whites than African Americans believe racial progress has been made over the past 50 years since Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his historic “I Have a Dream” speech during the March on Washington.

Americans were asked in a Pew Research study how much progress toward King’s dream of racial equality do you think the country has made in 50 years. Forty-eight percent of Whites answered “a lot” while only 32 percent of blacks agreed.

In questioning how much more needs to be done to achieve racial equality nearly 80 percent of blacks answered “a lot” while only 44 percent of Whites and 48 percent of Hispanics agreed.

Fewer than 45 percent of all Americans say the country has made substantial progress toward racial equality, but 49 percent “a lot more” needs to be done still.

Blacks remain far behind whites when it comes to household income and net worth. However, large majorities of blacks and whites say the two races generally get along “very well” or “pretty well.”

In terms of discrimination, the survey found that blacks are more likely than other race groups to say they have been discriminated against in the past year. It also found that more blacks are treated less fairly than whites in dealing with police, in the courts, in local public schools or on the job.

Down from 39 percent in 2009, only 1 in 4 African-Americans say the situation of black people is better now than five years ago. That same feeling also decreased among Whites from 49 percent to 35 percent.